


past and present, fast forward

by ironcouer



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-06
Updated: 2016-02-06
Packaged: 2018-05-18 11:11:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5926300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ironcouer/pseuds/ironcouer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>seokmin is a rare piece of sunshine, and seungkwan loves to bask in the glow. uni au.</p>
            </blockquote>





	past and present, fast forward

Seungkwan tells himself that he just likes the company. He’s never liked being alone. He likes someone to make laugh, and someone to laugh with. He likes being with Seokmin, because he makes him laugh, forget the stress of degrees and grades and internships and competition. They have fun together. They’re similar, they like to ride the subway at 3 AM and laugh loudly and find a dinky hole in the wall and make their nights unforgettable. That’s what friends do; friends hang out and have fun and adventures, don’t they? They giggle and grin and touch each other as much as they can, right?

Him and Seokmin—they’re really, really, good friends.

*

It’s the first day of freshman year, and Seokmin’s smile blinds Seungkwan, carries his feet off the ground, makes him forget that he’s nervous and is talking way too loud, mostly because Seokmin’s volume rivals his own.

“You’re Korean? You’re in Dean Village? Me too! What’s your class schedule? What year are you? Do you want to go get lunch? I’m in the music school too! What do…”

It’s an endless flow of chatter, his face animated bright and cherry-red, and Seungkwan finds himself lost in the way Seokmin pulls him in, makes him feel happy and relaxed, like he’s known Seokmin all his life. They’re so alike, they have similar interests, they burst into song together, and Seungkwan wonders how he’s missed someone he never even met before.

*

Seokmin’s room becomes Seungkwan’s favorite place on campus. His roommate dropped right before classes started, so it’s empty and airy with an extra bed and a lot of sunlight, and they spend hours there, practicing their singing, running vocal drills on each other, laughing, entertaining themselves for hours.

Seungkwan lays down on his bed, Seokmin on his, drinks up the silence, fills his lungs with it, and preserves how sweet everything tastes when he’s with Seokmin.

“Seungkwan,” Seokmin starts. It sounds like he’s about to say something serious.

“You’re about to be weird, aren’t you? Don’t be weird,” Seungkwan warns, which warrants a loud laugh from Seokmin across the room. Seungkwan doesn’t mean to, but he smiles anyways.

“I’m happy I met you on that first day.”

Seungkwan holds his hand up to the sunlight, watches it dance and shimmer across his hands, watches Seokmin bathed in the same sunlight. He’s jealous of the sunlight; he wants to kiss his skin as well.

Well, that’s new.

“Me too, Seokmin.”

“Really?”

“I told you not to be weird.”

It’s silent; with Seokmin smiling and Seungkwan relaxing against the bed that’s practically become his. He drums his fingers against the bedspread, listens to the sound of Seokmin breathing, counts the beats of his own inconsistent heart, notices the way they don’t match up. His staggering beat has him short for breath. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, hold your breath for two counts, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. When he looks over at Seokmin, he’s asleep, his loose sweater pooled around him, his chestnut hair messy and in tangles. He always falls asleep with a faint smile on his lips, how does he do that.

Seungkwan falls asleep with the sun warm against his cheek and Seokmin bright, shining, in his mind.

_

Seokmin likes the outdoors. Seungkwan bears it because he likes Seokmin.

“Where did you even get this blanket?”

Seokmin unfolds the blanket meticulously and lays it on the ground, the grass long and soft around it. “Don’t ask questions, just know it’s clean and that’s all that matters.”

Seungkwan shrugs and lays down, he and Seokmin parallel to each other, and the stars dance in front of his eyes.

‘No, seriously Min, I need to know if I’m in danger of getting Hepatitis. I need to call my mom and ask her if I’ve gotten all my shots.”

Seokmin pushes him playfully, and the contact tingles in a way that startles Seungkwan. “If you die, we die together.”

Seungkwan laughs.

“Brilliant. This is what I’ve always dreamed of. My last moments, you, me, dying under the stars at two in the morning, from a blanket contracted disease.”

“At least we’re together, right?”

Seungkwan is really good with words. He’s good with singing them, he’s good with saying them, and he can stand in front of his class and make a speech he hasn’t even prepared for, and get full marks. He doesn't know why, when he's around Seokmin, all the presence leaves him, and he's left mumbling. It's unlike him. It both doesn't make sense and does, which should scare Seungkwan. It doesn't. 

He only says “yeah,” and smiles at Seokmin, whose busy looking at the stars. He shines bright in the darkness, too.

He tries not to read too much into how much he likes the way Seokmin is pressed against his side, their hands finding each other, clasped. Seokmin points out a shooting star, loudly, and Seungkwan giggles, shushes him, even though Seokmin's shouts and laughs have become his favorite sound.

They fall asleep in the field, backs sore when they awake and trudge back to their rooms before dawn breaks. Seungkwan figures out that if he exaggerates his pain, he can get Seokmin to wrap his arm around his shoulder all the way back to the dorm.

*

“Soonyoung is really awesome, he’s in the music program too, he’s in my theory class. Is he in any of your classes?”

Seokmin knits his eyebrows together. “Maybe? The name sounds familiar, I think.” Seokmin holds up a white collared shirt for Seungkwan’s approval, and Seungkwan waves his hand, letting a pfftt escape his lips.

“Don’t be so formal, we’re just going to dinner. I’m pretty sure we’ll be the most dressed up people there. Wear that sweater you wore the other day.”

Seokmin pouts. “But you’re wearing a sweater too. We’re going to look too matchy-matchy.”

Seungkwan puts his hand over his heart in mock astonishment. “You should be so lucky to match with me, king of fashion—“

Seokmin laughs and pulls out his sweater from his drawers. “Fine, fine. Don’t blame me if someone thinks we’re boyfriends, though.”

Seungkwan busies himself with his phone, a blush blooming across his cheeks while Seokmin turns, changing.

*

“So, I may have underestimated the dress code.”

Soonyoung had texted him the address, and by the time Seokmin and Seungkwan found the restaurant (and the upscale clientele that wafted in and out), Seungkwan is willing to say that he may have made a mistake.

“A little,” Seokmin deadpans. After ten seconds, he snaps Seungkwan on the chest. “Why didn’t you just let me wear the collared shirt? Oh my god.”

Seungkwan knows Seokmin is trying to reprimand him, and really, he’s trying his best to keep the laugh from bubbling up. He’s doing a terrible job.

“Stop laughing. It’s not funny,” Seokmin says, doing his best to be stern, but before he knows it they’re both laughing.

“Kwan!” A shout comes from behind, and Soonyoung and another dark haired boy rush at them.

Seungkwan leans forward to hug Soonyoung and looks expectantly at the other boy, while Soonyoung smiles at everyone.

“Who is…” Seungkwan motions, and Soonyoung snaps out of it. “Oh! Sorry! This is Wonwoo, my boyfriend.” Seungkwan smiles, shakes his hand, and effervescent Seokmin introduces himself with a hug foisted on them both.

“Do you guys wanna hear a dad joke?” Wonwoo asks.

Soonyoung is the only one that laughs and goes on about how funny Wonwoo is.

Seokmin fakes laughter and Seungkwan thinks that love is blind, or has a really bad sense of humor. Either way, he hopes that’s the last jokes he has to endure from Wonwoo.

Not even close.

*

After they’re seated, Seokmin excuses himself to wash his hands, and Seungkwan accompanies him. Soonyoung gives him a thumbs up and he and Wonwoo share a laugh. Seungkwan doesn’t know why sanitation is so funny, but he shrugs it off and walks off, a little confused. He doesn't bring it up, even after they've returned. Soonyoung and Wonwoo giggle at an inside joke that he doesn't know, but Seungkwan laughs along anyways. 

“So when did you guys meet?” Seokmin asks, pushing pasta around on his plate.

Wonwoo grins. “I work at that pizza place by campus, and he kept coming in to visit me.”

“I was there for the pizza, too. You guys have really good pizza.”

Wonwoo laughs. “Sure. He gave me great tips to bribe me into going out with him.”

“THAT IS FALSE.”

Wonwoo pats him on the arm. “I guess you could call it love at first taste.”

Seokmin and Seungkwan groan at just how bad Wonwoo’s jokes seem to be, but Soonyoung just laughs like it’s the funniest joke he’s ever heard.

“So what about you guys? What’s your story?”

Seokmin answers, “We met on the first day of class, were inseparable. Pretty normal best friend stuff.”

Soonyoung looks at Wonwoo, then back to Seungkwan. “What do you mean best friend? Seungkwan said—I just thought—you mean you’re not dating?”

Seungkwan chokes on his water, and it takes a few good slaps from Seokmin to get the feeling back in his throat. “What do you mean? Of course we’re not dating. Obviously.”

Wonwoo interjects, “Well I mean, the way you talk about him, I mean Soonyoung told me that—“

Seungkwan holds up his hand. “Your bad jokes have gotten your Comment Card revoked.”

Wonwoo shrugs and sips his water, looking like a laugh is seconds from his lips.

“I’m sorry, Seungkwan, but just—you guys are so close, and you talk about him like, all the time, and you guys are always together and I mean—you go star watching together. Are you sure you’re not dating?”

Seokmin laughs, rescuing the awkward mood. “If we are dating, I’m getting cheated, because he never treats me to anything.”

The mood is lifted, and Seungkwan focuses on cutting his food into long strips, ignoring the way his heart seemed to like getting called Seokmin’s boyfriend.

A very new development, actually.

*

Ever since dinner, he’s been unable to get the running loop of boyfriend boyfriend boyfriend off his mind.

“Stop pacing, you’re making me nervous.”

Especially when he’s with Seokmin. Seokmin never mentioned the comments from Soonyoung again except for a passing if you’re going to be my boyfriend, can you at least hold the door for me when my hands are full, and Seungkwan blushed posy red, and Seokmin didn’t bring it up again.

“Sorry.”

“What’s bothering you?”

Seungkwan looks at Seokmin, his books spread on the bed, memorizing notation and studying for exams. He’s soft and brilliant, a blanket wrapped around his shoulders and his hair casual and unbrushed. He’s beautiful. Seungkwan figures he could do much, much worse.

“You.”

Seokmin rolls his eyes and brings them up to meet Seungkwan. “If you’re messing with me or doing some elaborate joke, these exams have got me very much not in the mood.”

Seungkwan shakes his head quickly, and sits on the bed. “I was thinking…why aren’t we boyfriends? If we act like it, and everyone thinks it, why don’t we just prove them right?”

Seokmin smiles, that beautiful, blinding smile, and promptly shuts his book. “I’m listening.”

Seungkwan hadn’t planned anything beyond those two sentences, so he starts rambling. Terribly.

“I mean, you know, I just, I’ve been thinking and I—well, if you don’t think we should, obviously it takes two to tango, so I—“

Seokmin laughs, loudly, opening his mouth wide and reaches for Seungkwan’s hand. He leans forward and kisses him, lips soft and gentle and it feels more right than anything Seungkwan’s ever felt. It feels like singing, the vibration of his excitement tinging every inch of him, running in every direction like an electrical current, up his veins and out his fingertips, and he leans into it and reciprocates. They’re both blushing and smiling so wide, and Seungkwan’s jaw is going to start aching if they keep this up.

“So, is that a yes?” Seungkwan asks, clasping his cheeks to try to get the redness to subside. “I mean, you know? Are we boyfriends then?”

Seokmin is smiling brighter than Seungkwan has ever seen. He leans forward to kiss his forehead, and sighs. “I don’t know if you noticed, but when Soonyoung asked, I never said we weren’t.”

As far as Seokmin and boyfriends go, Seungkwan knows he could do worse—but he thinks it would be pretty damn hard to do any better, either.

**Author's Note:**

> seokkwan have lots of love to give!!!! pls appreciate them!!! hmu on twitter (@kmingyuvevo) for more good times thanks for reading lovely ♡


End file.
